"Xiao Yue Er Gao"

"Xiao Yue Er Gao," a popular pipa tune from the Shanghai area, was written down toward the end of the 19th century, though the tune itself is probably older. Wu Man, one of the world’s premier pipa virtuosos, graduated from Beijing Central Conservatory and now lives near Boston, Massachusetts. Her worldwide performance career encompasses traditional Chinese music and a range of contemporary solo, ensemble, and orchestral pieces for the pipa. (During, Levin 2001)

The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan

Various Artists
SFW40438

What if Marco Polo had owned a tape recorder? And what if his epic travels along the Silk Road had taken place not at the end of the 13th century, but at the beginning of the 21st? Far-fetched conjectures to be sure, but our compilation The Silk Road: A Musical Caravan offers a glimpse of the rich musical life that an intrepid and curious traveler like Marco Polo might find in the lands of the Silk Road today (During, Levin 2001).